P.M. BRIEFING : Canada to Probe Tainted U.S. Fuel

OTTAWA — Canada said today that it will establish a police task force to investigate a growing scare over tainted fuel believed to be coming from the United States and also said entry points for fuel tankers coming from south of the border will be sharply reduced.

Federal Environment Minister Lucien Bourchard, outlining a “plan of action” after meeting provincial government ministers, said 125 of the 175 border crossings will be closed to tanker trucks so inspectors can concentrate their resources.

Canada’s Conservative government has been on the defensive all week since news reports that a criminal group has been making millions of dollars for the last four years by shipping tainted fuel from New York state to unsuspecting customers in Ontario and Quebec.

The Toronto Globe and Mail, quoting industry and police sources, said gasoline blended with hazardous wastes like PCBs was sold to gas stations, trucking companies and industrial quarries.